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I thought I was invited to be on Martha Stewart’s radio show “Morning Living” (Sirius.com) yesterday to talk about my new book Radically Simple (you know, the one that was just chosen as one of the top 10 cookbooks of the year by The New York Times.) But no! Instead I was asked to talk about my 1-2-3 cookbooks — with the specific task of sharing three-ingredient appetizers. It seems when Martha Stewart’s drive-time audience was asked to share their favorite holiday appetizers, they all had three ingredients! This amused hosts Becky and Kim to no end and so, presto!, I was quickly asked to come on the show. Over the years I have developed hundreds of ideas for three-ingredient appetizers — some quite conducive to holiday merriment. Some of them are quite upscale and need no cooking whatsoever — oysters on the half shell with oscetra caviar and a squeeze of lemon (that’s three!), prunes soaked in brandy and filled with pate de foie gras, and chilled shrimp with wasabi creme fraiche (made by mixing wasabi paste with creme fraiche and sea salt. Remember: salt, pepper and water don’t count when doing the “1-2-3”!) Others appeal to more ubiquitous tastes and include my addictive “peppery pecans” and sweet-and-sour glazed rib bits. Recipes below. One of the most magical recipes I know, however, is something I invented called Brie Croustades and you can top them with a dab of salmon caviar, pesto, tapenade, or just a sprinkling of finely chopped chives. The croustades themselves are like tiny little popovers — made from room-temperature brie and eggs, whirled in a processor and baked in small muffin tins. They puff up and then settle back into little pillows. They are wonderful with champagne.

Enjoy the recipes below and please send me any ideas you have for three-ingredient holiday apps — beginning today and going right through to New Year’s Eve. My “team” will choose the best and someone will receive an autographed copy of Entertaining 1-2-3 or Christmas 1-2-3. Your choice. Hurry!

Wash radishes and leaves and dry well. Remove leaves from radishes, leaving 1 inch of stem attached to each radish. Remove any spindly roots. Refrigerate leaves until ready to use. Cut radishes in half through the root and cut a tiny slice from the rounded bottoms so they don’t wobble. Place cheese in a food processor with 1-1/2 tablespoons water. Process until smooth, being careful not to overprocess. Mixture should be thick and creamy. Spread cheese thickly on cut side of each radish. Arrange radish leaves on a platter to make a wide circle with a hole in the center. Place radishes on leaves. In a small skillet, toast cumin and 1/2 teaspoon salt 3 minutes around aromatic. Sprinkle each radish with toasted cumin. Makes 36 pieces

Thaw pasty until pliable but still cold. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Roll out pastry so that it stretches to 10 by 10 inches. Cut into 20 squarish shapes that are 2-1/2 by 2 inches. Place 1 teaspoon cheese on bottom half of one square. Tear off a piece of salmon to fit on top. Be careful not to use too much, since the entire filling must be contained. Fold top of pastry over filling to make a neat rectangular shape. Using the tines of a fork, press down tightly on the three sides to make a little pillow. Repeat with remaining squares. Place on baking sheet and bake 20 to 25 minutes until puffed and golden. Serve immediately. Serves 20Peppery Pecans
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
4 cups shelled pecan halves, about 16 ounces

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large nonstick skillet, melt butter and add 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce and lots of freshly ground black pepper. Add pecans and a large pinch of salt. Stir and cook over medium heat for 3 minutes, making sure the nuts are coated. Transfer to a baking sheet and bake for 12 minutes, stirring often. Drain on paper towels. Toss with more salt, pepper, and remaining Worcestershire sauce. Makes about 4 cups